Shovels hit the dirt Thursday at the University of Oregon’s Portland campus, where university leaders and community members gathered to mark the start of an $83 million expansion for the Ballmer Institute for Children’s Behavioral Health. The two-story, 54,000-square-foot mass-timber building is planned as a new home for the institute’s undergraduate training programs, a no-cost behavioral health clinic for youth and a telehealth hub meant to reach rural communities across Oregon. University officials say the goal is to quickly expand classroom capacity and move more graduates into entry-level clinical roles statewide.
Funding, Naming And The Lead Gift
According to the University of Oregon, just over $53 million of the project cost will be covered by state bonds, with the campus working to raise roughly $30 million in philanthropy to reach the full $83 million price tag. The new facility is officially named the Tykeson Child Behavioral Health Building, recognizing a lead $15 million gift from the Tykeson Family Foundation. University materials note that fundraising efforts will also underwrite scholarships and clinic programming, and list the Ballmer Institute and the Prevention Science Institute as the primary occupants once the building opens.
As reported by OPB, Ballmer Institute executive director Kate McLaughlin told the crowd the program is “growing very rapidly” and that current classrooms are not large enough to support that growth. Amy Tykeson, whose family provided the lead gift, said in a statement that the work is “deeply needed” and has the potential to change lives across Oregon.
What The Building Will Include
The project page describes a 54,000-square-foot, two-story mass-timber facility that can flex depending on the day’s needs. Classrooms are designed to combine into a 4,000-square-foot auditorium, and plans include a 5,000-square-foot youth clinic with private intervention rooms and a calming outdoor sensory pathway. A 2,500-square-foot telehealth center is expected to support up to 48 students who will deliver care to underserved communities. University of Oregon project materials say the building will pull together teaching, research and community service spaces that are currently scattered across the Portland campus. Skanska is leading construction, and ZGF Architects is serving as the design firm for the project.
Workforce Pipeline And Licensure
The Ballmer Institute is framing the new building as a workforce pipeline. OPB reports that the state created a new behavioral health practitioner license this year, which Gov. Tina Kotek signed into law last month, and the institute’s first cohort of 17 students is set to graduate this week with that credential. Students in the program log roughly 700 hours of supervised, hands-on placements with partners including Morrison Child & Family Services, Trillium Family Services and Catholic Community Services. Program leaders say employers that have recruited graduates have responded by extending multiple job offers.
Next Steps And Timeline
Demolition of older campus buildings on the site has wrapped up, and the project team has shifted into site work. The construction schedule runs through 2027, with an anticipated opening in early 2029, according to the project page maintained by Skanska. Skanska’s materials also emphasize the use of mass timber for reduced embodied carbon and improved indoor environments, while the university continues working to secure philanthropic support for scholarships and community clinic operations tied to the new facility.
